Washington – An effort aimed at blocking the “Liberation Day” rates of President Trump in the Senate in the midst of anxiety by the way wide rates could alter the American economy on Wednesday, with the Senate Republicans largely in its opposition.
In a vote of 49 to 49, all Republicans, except that they opposed the measure, in a victory for the White House and the GOP leadership in the Senate, as the party seeks to keep united in the subject. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Democrat and Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, did not vote.
“Senator Whitehouse is back to represent the United States at the Oceanal Summit, where he was the only North -American Officer,” said a senator’s spokesman in a statement explaining his absence. “The senator expressed the continued United States support for the blue economy, climate solutions, fishing and maritime safety, even when the Trump administration cedes leadership to the oceans in the rest of the world.”
The resolution, led by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, of Oregon and Republican Senator Rand Paul de Kentucky, would end the national emergency of April 2 that the President is using to impose the rates, effectively blocking the taxes on foreign imports. Together with Paul, the sensitive Republican Susan Collins de Maine and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, joined the Democrats and independents in support of the measure, down the majority needed for the passage.
The measure almost certainly would not have been taken to the GOP controlled chamber, which made the vote to greatly symbolic.
The voting took place after the President on April 2 announced an initial rate of 10% to almost all North -American commercial members while increasing taxes in dozens of other countries. Days later, as investors appeared, Mr Trump announced a 90 -day break In most of their new rates, maintaining 10% of base at its place while increasing the rate of freight rate imported from China.
Wyden told CBS News before voting on the measure that “this is an option for senators”.
“They have been home and heard of their voters, like small businesses, who are being affected by these rates,” said Wyden. “If they are going to listen to their voters, we will get their support and if they are more concerned that Donald Trump is meaningful to them, they will go with the opposition.”
Paul warned his fellow Republicans on Wednesday on the Senate plant, saying that “this should not be a partisan issue” and said that “Congress did not discuss these rates, Congress did not vote to promote these rates; the rates are simply imposed by Fiat Fiat Fiat.
“If the North -Americans live under this emergency rule, it will not be because the President was looking for too much power,” Paul said. “It will be because Congress has let it happen.”
Earlier this month the Senate approved Another resolution To block Mr. Trump’s rates in Canada, which are in a previous national emergency. At that time, four Republicans joined all Democrats and Independent to support the measure: Murkowski, Collins and McConnell, along with Paul. The chamber did not vote for the measure.
Trump had pressured on the Senate Republicans to oppose the measure, asking that the senators hoped to give him a support. But those senators remained quickly in their opposition.
Prior to the vote, this time, United States commercial representative, Jamieson Greer and Vice President JD Vance, joined the conference during a Tuesday launch meeting, where Senators told Greer that the administration advances in commercial agreements.
Meanwhile, the Chamber’s Republican leadership has been taken Steps to cancel Efforts to block Mr. Trump’s rates. Earlier this month, Republicans included in key legislation a disposition that would prevent members from forcing a vote to block the announced rates on April 2, after doing so with the previous rates. And any measure to go back the rates would need the signature of the President, leaving the opponents of Congress with little probability of restarting in his taxes.
House President Mike Johnson event that “the executive has a wide range of authority that has been recognized over the years” in trade. But he suggested a limited opening to go out on the road.
“If you approach the imbalance, then we would go in,” Johnson said, although he added that the first step would be to call the President to discuss concerns. “But right now I think that in the last instance, this policy will achieve the desired result and will be good for the country, and we applaud it.”
However, the concerns continued to overcome the economic impact of the rates. And economic growth was slowed down in the first quarter of 2025, the Department of Commerce informed On Wednesday, in his estimation of the gross domestic product of the nation.
The leader of most of most of the Senate, John Thune, told journalists on Wednesday after the GDP report that “the rate issue is probably a time to realize the results and benefits.”
“In general, the things we will do to support a healthy economy, on taxes and regulations and energy, will have a long -term positive impact,” said Thune, a South Dakota Republican. “The problem of rate is something that, as I said, is an open question, but we are giving them a space to negotiate and see if they can get good offers.”